Moving to a cloud-based site may sound like an easy task — you may think you just need to copy the data and paste it into a new website. But unfortunately, this process is very complicated. The article will highlight the basic principles of data transfer from cloud to cloud and suggest the best practices for cloud migration to transform you into an opportunity to grow your business value.
ON-PREMISE TO CLOUD MIGRATION
Business owners may wonder why they need to move. What does cloud migration mean? It is the process of transferring data, resources, or applications from old or existing cloud infrastructure. The decision to move is quite simple — it will give you higher security, better performance and cost savings. Also, working in the cloud will give you access to almost unlimited computer resources.
Some companies also consider transferring only part of their data to the cloud to learn how the cloud system will work.
There are many cloud solutions. Most of them are designed to meet the specific needs of the business, so moving data to the cloud is always a flexible and business-friendly process.
TYPES OF CLOUD MIGRATION
There are four common types of cloud migration in IT operations. It usually depends on how companies want to use the cloud to achieve business goals.
- Lift and Shift. One of the most widely used forms of cloud migration. In this case, you will be using the same software but in the cloud.
- Shift to SaaS. It is a very popular business model used by cloud providers. In this case, you hire a cloud software with a pre-defined set of features needed for your business goal and pay for the package, amount of data and computer power you actually use.
- Re-platforming. This type of cloud migration is considered to improve application, changes to the API application and improve middleware.
- Re-architect. In this case, you will need to rebuild the app’s logic and create a traditional version of the cloud from scratch.
WHY AND WHEN YOU NEED TO MIGRATE TO THE CLOUD — USE CASES
Cloud migration is a decision made by modern companies. Below are some situations where you may need to go to the clouds.
- Move from a legacy system. 40% of cloud-moving companies from the legacy system do it to improve their data security. Migration to the cloud also allows the company to face the technological limitations of the legacy system.
- Get a competitive advantage. Time and cost can be redirected to other activities aimed at growing business. Moving to the cloud is also an opportunity to create a competitive advantage because of opportunities to reduce costs and make workflow easier.
- The best response to work challenges from home. Cloud migration creates new opportunities for businesses to use more efficiency when employees work from home. Using the cloud in data management is the best option in such an environment.
ON-PREMISE TO CLOUD MIGRATION BENEFITS
Migrating from on-premise to cloud at a lower level helps businesses achieve higher cost-effective outcomes. Take a closer look at the benefits of cloud migration.
- Scalability and Elasticity of clouds. The cloud is developing a scaling option. It means users can add or remove resources as needed. Cloud stability has been a factor. Such cloud-based benefits allow users to quickly expand or reduce computer or storage processing.
- Simplified Service Maintenance. Cloud storage is the responsibility of the service provider. If there is any problem, you can immediately contact technical support to resolve it.
- Simplified Application Integration. If you choose AWS cloud migration, you can expect a lot of support and expertise to assist you with data migration. However, your technical team needs to be prepared to use the best cloud management systems to make this solution work for your business.
- Cost of cloud migration. Cloud-based services allow you to pay for used services only. Also, measuring clouds is less expensive. Amazon AWS, for example, has a Free Tie option that allows a company to launch cloud services at a discount. It is one of the most important benefits of cloud migration. Although this option is 100% free, it turns out to be more competitive than offers from other cloud providers.
- Better Safety. One of the most discussed benefits of cloud migration is security. Although the cloud is not a completely secure solution (currently no technology can give you such a guarantee), it is still safer than local servers.
Almost all of the benefits of cloud migration we have discussed can be applied to any type of cloud.
THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF CLOUD MIGRATION
The cloud-based transport system always needs a clear strategy supported by a data transfer system. Strategic thinking and forecasting are essential to avoid the next challenges of cloud migration.
- Downtime. If data is moving from a local server to a cloud, from time to time, there will be a need to disable the local server. It may lead to rest. To meet such a challenge, you need to have a well-thought-out data transfer strategy, a backup system and tech-savvy vendor support.
- Data loss. One of the biggest challenges for cloud migration is the possibility of data loss, which is a nightmare for many business owners. You should always make a backup copy and encrypt your data.
- Resource management. Cloud adoption often involves certain changes in business operations and data management. Make sure your employees are ready to adapt to the cloud and benefit fully from it.
- Interoperability. Sometimes transferred applications are not compatible with clouds. Choose the most efficient data transfer strategy to avoid such cloud transport challenges.
- Cloud provider choice. Wrong selection of cloud provider is not immediately apparent. In this case, companies are experiencing problems after the completion of the cloud migration program, but there are many costs and very little efficiency to operate as expected. The only way to avoid this trap is to pay attention to the seed classes, consult a data transfer vendor, and, if possible, get started with the most affordable cloud service packages.
- Cost estimate. Be careful when estimating the cost of cloud migration, especially cloud use. For example, the Pay as You Go price model offered by Amazon AWS is the most flexible. However, it can be very expensive if there is a sudden load increase.
Dealing with the challenges of cloud data migration will be a key part of any migration strategy. That’s why you need to make sure you know how to anticipate potential problems.
СLOUD MIGRATION STEPS
Before discussing the steps of cloud migration, we need to consider three key factors: what, why and how. After explaining what to move and why you need to start data transfer in the cloud, look at the most important steps for cloud transport.
There is a cloud migration checklist to ensure step-by-step process quality:
Step # 1. Describe the role of migrant builder, a system responsible for planning and completing all aspects of migration. It should include the reconsideration needed to make the move successful, migration strategies and cloud requirements.
Step # 2. Describe the level of cloud compaction. There are two levels of integration — shallow or deep cloud integration. The first level considers local migration to the clouds with only a few changes. The in-depth integration is based on application modification during migration.
Step # 3. Select the type of cloud. As mentioned earlier, it can be public, private, mixed, or multi-cloud data and application migration.
Step # 4. Define performance key and performance key performance indicators (KPIs). Before moving to the cloud, you need to have clear metrics to measure how successful the process has been. Also, you need to establish a working principle — a measure that will determine whether post-migration performance is acceptable. Good KPIs will also show how adequate migration progress is and to identify problems.
Step # 5. Create a migration plan. Before launching a migration, you need to define all stages of cloud migration and have a step-by-step plan for any possible situation.
Step # 6. Existing Data Transfer. First, you need to create an initial copy of all available data to submit. In this step, you need to define the appropriate infrastructure for your company. Another challenge is to copy all current data, as there may be hundreds of terabytes of data. This problem can be solved with Google and Amazon services, as they can literally move all your hard drives. Also, remember that you are copying raw data. It means you will need to clean it later.
Step # 7. Update migration. You must not skip any steps for cloud migration. After the move, you need to consider setting up the app. Make sure the new system is working properly and that no data is damaged.
CLOUD MIGRATION TOOLS
Large cloud providers — such as AWS, GCP or Azure — offer a variety of tools and services to make cloud migration easier for you. Here are the most commonly used:
- The AWS Migration Hub is great for tracking migration processes
- AWS Server Migration Service is a freight forwarding tool
- CloudEndure migration is an automated lifting and moving tool that you can use for free for 90 days
- Azure Migrate is a Microsoft migration service that helps track and organize migration
- Storage Transfer Service is a tool for transferring large amounts of data to Google Cloud Storage
CLOUD MIGRATION COSTS: IS THE CLOUD CHEAPER?
The most common question we get is about the cost of cloud migration. It is not cheap for a company to have its own infrastructure in a building. You need to pay for servers, network, storage and additional repair costs. In this case, the cloud is cheaper than any other system in place.
You can also use a private or mixed cloud at a reasonable cost. For example, you will have free software and hardware storage for the public cloud. But remember that public clouds are limited.
You need proper configuration to have a cheap cloud solution. It means you will need to hire professionals to set up the cloud. It will improve your performance and ensure the low cost of cloud migration.
CLOUD MIGRATION DATA SECURITY: IS IT SAFE?
Cloud providers often ensure high data security and provide security solutions because their business is based on security. Cloud data protection is one of the most important benefits of moving to a cloud. But does that mean that clouds are always more secure than storage?
The most important security risks of local data are usually caused by external factors. For example, it could be hackers or threats to break the law. But at the same time, internal threats may arise. That means it could be a data leak by your employees. And the clouds, in this case, are much safer. Cloud security is very much focused on how you teach people to share and share information in the cloud without risk.
Xekera Systems tech-savvy specialists are ready to support you on this path, help you create a data migration plan and seamlessly move your data to the cloud. Get in touch with our experts anytime.